


Loonatics Unleashed - Not 'Danger', just Duck.

by DreamerAwaken



Category: Loonatics Unleashed
Genre: Adoption, I have no idea how I plan on finishing this, I just made this AU for the wholesomeness, Kid Danger Duck, Orphanage, So enjoy what I've got for now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:02:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22140733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamerAwaken/pseuds/DreamerAwaken
Summary: Alternate Universe where everything is the same, but Danger Duck is a kid that was gifted with the powers of the meteorite, but it's more like a curse to him, a curse that forbids him from being adopted.He starts to lose hope of ever getting out of the orphanage until Ace found him and took him under his wing.Now part of the Loonatics, how will his life turn out to be like?(Semi-Hiatus!)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 28





	1. The Orphanage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is an AU that's been playing in my head for a while now. It's been made only for entertainment! Hope you enjoy~

It was just another morning, like every one which had passed during the last five years.

On a secured room in an old building, music notes coming from a toy piano echoed through the empty halls. A few years ago, the same halls were filled with kids running and shouting, playing tag with each other for most part of the days, but those days were over, as only one kid remained there with his take carer.

Someone then entered the building, an old woman in her early sixties, with her long skirt dragging lightly over the broken tiles of what used to be her own 'Adoption Center'; the vibrant yellow of the walls were turning gray as generations of kids passed, and there were weeds growing over the dusty windows. Most parts of the building were shut down and never opened again, with only one room still being in use. The lady headed to that room, guiding herself thanks to the music she recognized so well, and opened the wooden door.

The last kid in her care was like no other, in the slightest.

"Miss Gertrude, you returned!" A young, black mallard child smiled and stopped his play, looking up at her with his light blue eyes. Gertrude smiled faintly and took a seat near him. "...Did anything happen?" He asked worriedly; it wasn't common to have the lady leaving him in the orphanage for longer than an hour. 

She sighed and looked at him. "Yeah... I had no luck trying to locate another family for an interview." Gertrude had been struggling to find a home for this one child ever since he came in... or rather, for the past two years. "And the government is still on me, asking when I'll be closing this place for good every time they see me."

"T-that's bad..." He seemed afraid. "Can't they be... patient?"

The lady took him in her arms and set him on her lap, rubbing circles on his back to calm him. "It's been at least two years, Dante. The government is desperate to get its hands on this place to build another skyscraper, or whatever the hell they want." She scowled lightly. "But I have been telling those greedy men that as long as you remain here, I will not hand them this place."

Dante looked up at her, and hugged her, hiding his face on her purple shirt. "...I'm sorry."

"Hm?" She looked down at him. "Why are you apologizing? This is hardly your fault..."

"I-If it wasn't by... 'this', I would have been adopted by now, and you wouldn't be dealing with-"

"Now stop right there." She cut him and made him face her. "This is NO ONE's fault, you hear me? Not mines, not yours, or anyone's. It's something that happened, and we'll get through it, no matter what."

The young mallard eye's watered a bit. "And if... we don't?"

Gertrude looked at him sadly. Even if it wasn't her case, she knew how much it affected him; all those couples who came to see him and turned him down, all those kids that bullied him after the first incident, now it's been two years and he was still here with her as his only support. 

It wasn't surprising to believe he was losing all hope of ever finding a family.  
"Don't think like that." She said softly, still rubbing circles on his back. "It's only a matter of time... we've come so far now, and I still have a few contacts, we only need to stay determined and don't break. Understood?"

"...Yeah." He sniffed and cleaned his eyes with his sleeve.

Gertrude pat his head. "...What were you playing right now?" She asked, trying to change subjects. Dante looked up, and his smile came back.

"Oh, I was playing a song from the book you gave me yesterday!" He got off her lap and walked towards the piano, picking said book and reading it. "It's called... 'Glad you came'."

"It's a pretty nice name." She smiled. "Mind if you play it again for me to listen?" Dante grinned and left the book where it was, and read the first couple of notes as he positioned his fingers on the white and black piano keys.

Once again, the music that came from the room echoed in the halls as it started to play. Gertrude smiled warmly as she saw him playing, thinking how happy she would be if he ever got to play in a big stage, with a real piano. Dante had always had a liking for the instrument ever since she got him into a small theater show, where the ballerinas danced along every note that was played by a man in the grand piano they had. After the show, he begged her to have a piano on his own, and she decided to get one for him for his 'Birthday'.

Seeing him enjoying it made her know that every penny she saved to buy it, was worth it.

It was the sudden jump he made that took her out of her thoughts, and just as she was about to ask him what was wrong, she saw how his hands glowed with a vivid orange light.

Dante seemed panicked, so she quickly got to his side and crouched behind him. "Dante, are you OK?"

"Y-y-yeah." He stuttered watching his glowing hands, but the glow died after a short while. He sighed in relief as he inspected his hands. "I-I was worried I would end up blowing the piano..."

"Well, that didn't happen, thankfully..." She said, seeming concerned. It had been a while since his powers showed up like that, and it worried her because she thought he had learned to keep them under control, or mostly. "Are you sure you're OK?" She asked again, thinking that maybe there was something bothering the boy.

But the young mallard only shook his head quietly. "I'm fine now, don't worry." He let his arms fall to each of his sides. "...Would it bother you if I stopped playing, for now?"

Gertrude sighed softly. "Of course not." She stood up after caressing his head. "How about we watch TV?"

He looked at her and then at the clock. "Uh, it's still not time to watch my cartoons."

"We can watch something else instead." She shrugged. "I need to see the news to see what's going on lately." Dante nodded and decided to follow her to the old TV that was over at the back of the room. They settled down on the sofa and turned it on, and after some static frequencies, the news reporter lady came to view.

"We interrupt our broadcast to give an important message to those living in the northwest area of Acmetropolis." Gertrude blinked and payed attention, that's where they lived. "A robber had escaped from the police after a shooting held in the Bank. A chase is currently being held by Ace Bunny, the leader of the Loonatics. We warn you to stay indoors as the robber is armed and dangerous-..." 

Gertrude stood up. "Stay here."

"Huh?" Dante looked at her alarmed. "W-where are you going? The lady said we had to stay indoors!"

"And this lady says she has to go outdoors." She turned to Dante. "If this brat makes his way into this place, I would never forgive myself, and I will not expose you to such danger." The young mallard seemed scared but Gertrude, after she made sure he was well hidden, headed outside anyways. Powers or not, he was still a kid, and she was not risking his security.

Making her way outside, she heard the upcoming commotion and hid behind a tree at the entrance. From far away she saw how two vehicles made their way quickly through the neighborhood. 

The flying motorcycles shifted from one side to the other, as the robber tried to outsmart the Loonatics' leader to don't get caught, but the bunny showed no signs of letting the other take the upper hand.  
"Ya bett'a quit runni'n!" He called, and avoided a bullet that was shot towards him. "Nice shoot, but now's my turn!" Gertrude had never seen, or heard about these Loonatics guys. She believed it was just another security team the government had contracted.

So when she saw how the Looney's eyes glowed yellow and fired a laser to the other motorcycle, she was shocked and froze in her spot.

The robber's motorcycle spun out of control and crashed against the pavement right in front of the abandoned orphanage, and Ace quickly moved to where the man was. He jumped out of his vehicle and checked the man, only to find he was just unconscious. "Well doc, I t'ínk ya ain't getti'n away any time soon." He took the weapon away and handcuffed the robber as the sirens of the police's cars reached them.

Gertrude kept watching from her spot, still in shock of what she just saw as Ace gave the police his report and handed them everything.

"The police department thank you for your assistance." The captain tipped his hat at Ace, who just nodded before they left. He was about to do as well, but from the corner of his eye he saw the lady behind the tree, and his first thought was that maybe she was injured.

"Ma'am?" He made his way towards her, and Gertrude snapped out of her state. Ace frowned at her in concern. "My name's Ace. Are ya alright? Did ya get hurt?"

Gertrude looked at him, trying to process what had happened, and what she had seen. This young adult Looney had powers. That's all she could make out of the situation.

And that was also the only thing she needed.

Standing upright, she shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

He seemed relieved and smiled lightly. "Well d'ats great news, for a moment I thought-"

"But I could use your assistance." She cut him.

Ace looked at her, and blinked, but he answered. "Er, sure ma'am, what's da problem?"

"My name is Gertrude." She introduced herself, and then showed the Loonatics' leader the building. "And I wouldn't call it a 'problem'... more like, a favor." Not wanting to reveal this just yet, she started to walk back into the orphanage, and Ace took it as a signal to follow the woman. It was a quiet walk for a few minutes, until he decided to get straight into the point.

"So, what's d'is... 'favor'?" He questioned as he looked at her. "Ya need help with d'is place? Seems ta me like it's gonna need a good fixi'n..."

But she shook her head. "No, this place can't be helped now." But instead, she asked him something back. "I'm afraid I haven't heard from you, or the 'Loonatics', care to explain this old lady what you're part of?"

Ace raised an eyebrow at her, it sort of surprised him that the lady hadn't heard about them, considering it's been two years since the group was made. "Eh, d'at is mostly classified. But in short, we are considered... 'Heroes'." He explained.

"And those powers of yours, are you the only one that possesses them?" She inquired.

"Nah, each memba' of our team has 'em." He turned to her, seeming a bit wary. "Any reason for ya interest?"

Gertrude smiled lightly. "Ah, just had the need to know." They were reaching the room she was meaning to bring him to. "Well, I believe I will have to tell you about this favor I need from you, mister Ace." She turned to him, and the bunny stood in front of her.

He looked at the door questioningly. "I would like ta hear d'at, yeah."

"For starters, do you happen to know where you are?"

"Eh... nah, I thought d'is was some dumped place."

Gertrude shook her head. "Half-right, but this place is actually an orphanage."

Ace caught up quickly, and for a second he was shocked. "H-hold on, ma'am, you're not telli'n me d'is favor of yours is actually-?"

"Let me finish." She held up her hand, silencing the Looney. "Yes, I was about to ask you to take a child under your wing-" Ace opened his mouth, and she cut him. "-because he's been here for at least five years, he's the only kid left here, and no one is daring enough to adopt him."

"..." He seemed a bit nervous, true was, he wasn't sure how he would deal with this. "...Why not? What's up with him?" He found himself asking.

She looked at him. "He's exactly like you. He's a Looney..." Ace seemed confused. "... and he also possesses powers."

"Wait, what?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And there you have the start of this AU! Truth is, I don't know how far this one will get, but the next chapter will come along surely. And yeah, Danger Duck is called 'Dante' in my AU, since I'm planning something with his original name.
> 
> Please leave a Kudos and comment on what you think!
> 
> ~DreamerAwaken


	2. Guardian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter will contain a lot of self-thoughts, and a reasonable length as well. Ace is just about to meet Dante! How will things go down? 
> 
> Better go find out!

He must have heard wrong, there was no mistaking it; there was no way that what the lady just told him was true, for there couldn't be any chances of something like that ever happening.

Chances were so very slim, and yet, a part of Ace was telling him that he should believe in her words.

"Powa's?" He repeated in disbelief, his initial shock starting to wear off. "But, how? D'at shouldn't have happened ta him, it should be impossible!"

Gertrude shook her head. "That's what I keep telling myself, but every day the proof is right there in front of my eyes. He possesses powers, but he's so young that he can't seem to control them fully, and I'm not capable of helping him." She then sighed. "He had tried to keep his powers hidden whenever a new couple would be interested in adopting him, but no matter his tries, they always showed up. The poor boy had gotten better at it, but still..."

Ace looked down, taking in the information. All he could picture was this boy, struggling with something he didn't even know about; in his case, Ace remembered how confused he was when the meteorite landed and he gained his abilities, but back at that time Zadavia quickly reached out from him and the rest of his teammates and they all learned together how to control themselves, and always counted on the other whenever things didn't go the way they planned.

But, if the lady was saying the truth, then this kid had nobody to support him; he was alone because of the same powers that helped Ace save Acmetropolis every day.

A power which, in wrong hands... would lead to even worse things.

He had no choice. Ace sighed, and returned his glance at the lady, speaking with a serious tone. "...Look ma'am. I can't guarantee ya d'at I'll be da best guardian, or a... fa'da figure for d'is kid." He then looked at the door. "But... I'm willi'n ta help him."

Gertrude's expression became full of hope, something that hadn't happened in years. "Oh, oh my." She smiled, overjoyed. "You have no idea of how much it means for us!" The Loonatics' leader smiled, a bit awkwardly, but she ignored it. "Let's go, you have yet to meet him."

"Ahh... 'kay." He said. The lady opened the door and entered, and Ace followed behind. Gertrude told him to wait in one small seat near a table that was nearly as small, and he felt a bit embarrassed at how ridiculous he looked on it.

"I'll be right back." She said. "With the robber alert, I told the poor boy to hide. He'll come around when he sees me." Gertrude then left the room through a different door, and that's when Ace let out a loud sigh and fully dropped his ears.

"What have I gotten into..." He mumbled. But he knew it was too late to back out now, all he could do was to trust that the lady was right about the kid having powers, because if not...

...If not, that kid would lose another chance of being adopted.

Groaning at how complicated this was all going to be, wherever one way or another, Ace decided to look around the room he was in, to pass the time somehow and distract himself from his rushing thoughts _._

The place was as old as what he'd seen so far of the wrecked orphanage, but at least it seemed to be standing alright for a change. His eyes fell on the small toy piano near him, and judging how there was no dust on it, he realized that it was either new or well taken care of.

The bunny scanned the walls then and widened his eyes slightly when he saw pictures of the orphanage when it was still working. He saw many kids around Gertrude, all of them smiling at the camera, making funny faces or poses, which brought a faith smile to his face. He saw how each photo changed, as each year there were either new or fewer kids or some that still weren't adopted. But the more he looked, the more he realized the number of children went down until there were only three left.

One of them was a human boy, the other two were Looneys. Ace took a second glance at the pictures and noticed that the last two had been in every photo taken before, meaning that no one had been interested in adopting them ever since they arrived.

He couldn't help but find that thought quite saddening. But Ace realized that if there was a Looney left here, then that meant that the other was taken into someone's care along with the human boy, so at least one of them was given the chance. The bunny, however, didn't know which one of the two had powers.

He looked at the last image again and his eyes fell on the blue ones printed into the picture.

Then, he heard a door creaking as it opened and saw Gertrude walking into the room, with a smaller figure following her. Ace's ears perked up as his eyes fell once again in those eyes, only they were real now, and they belonged to a black mallard boy that was hiding behind the lady's leg.

"Ace," Gertrude started, and the older Looney turned to look at her. "This is Dante Duck. He's the one I have told you about." Dante seemed nervous and looked up at the lady.

The bunny saw how, without the use of words, Gertrude seemed to slowly comfort him. After a quiet moment, he nodded slowly and made his way over Ace to sit on another chair in front of him.

"Now," She said. "I'll head outside and leave you two to talk. If anything happens, please call me, I'll be near."

And with that she exited the room, leaving them alone.

"..." Dante was still nervous and the silence didn't help much, so he decided to start talking, avoiding eye contact. "S-so... you know about me?"

"...Just what I've been told." Ace was seeming to have problems talking as well, as he wasn't sure where this could all be leading to. "But, eh, y'know? I would like ta know ya betta', so why not tell me 'bout ya self?"

The young mallard finally looked at him, blinking. "Uh, about what? Miss Gertrude said that she explained it all to you..."

Cracking a little smile, the bunny continued. "Well, yeah, but not everthi'n." He then had an idea. "Hey, how 'bout d'is? Ya ask me somethi'n, I answer, then I ask ya somethi'n back, and so on?"

"That... sounds fine." Dante managed to smile a little, he was still nervous, but at least he didn't turn down the idea, which made Ace glad. "Ok, me first... what's with the accent?"

Ace snorted and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Well, never heard it before." The mallard shrugged, making Ace chuckle.

"I come from da south part of Acmetropolis, most people there have d'is accent." He answered. "My turn now, how old are ya?"

Dante hummed a bit before answering. "Ten. Gertrude says I look like a boy of six because of my height." He huffed a bit. "But I'm sure I'll grow up a lot!" Ace snickered at that comment. "Don't laugh." The mallard grumbled.

The older Looney couldn't help it, there was something about that unamused tone of voice the boy had that made him snicker louder. Plus Dante's lisp was a nice little extra.

Another huff. "Fine, here goes another one, what's with the weird costume?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, I didn't take d'is thing off." Ace looked at his uniform, then at Dante. "I'm part of da Loonatics, da leada' actually."

"What are the Loonatics?" Dante asked, seeming confused, but Ace held a finger up with a triumphant smile. "Nah-ah, ya betta' wait your turn ta ask."

Dante crossed his arms. "Really now?" But he couldn't help the smile his beak was forming. "OK, then ask me something!"

"Hmmm..." Ace faked disinterest, letting his head rest on one of his hands, but hearing Dante making that unamused sound again made him chuckle and stop his play. "Alright then... uh..." The bunny pointed to the toy piano behind him with his thump. "D'at yours?"

He was curious because he believed it belonged to the boy, and seeing Dante's face considerably light up confirmed his suspicions.

"Yeah! Miss Gertrude gave me that piano for my birthday, and I have been playing ever since!" He sat up proudly. "And I'm a great player, mind you."

Ace seemed surprised the kid was getting more comfortable as each question passed, but he took it as a good signal. "Heh, will have ta see d'at myself." He then smiled. "It's your turn, though I guess I know what it is."

The mallard nodded. "What are the Loonatics? And why do they make you wear a costume?"

"Two in one? Well played. Ya see..." He started. "We are a group of Looneys, literally, it's me and my o'da four teammates. We help protect da city every day; da uniforms are ta don't be mistaken by da police."

Dante's eyes lightened up in amazement. "Wait, like superheroes from TV?"

Ace couldn't help but smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Eh, yeah, ya can say d'at... my turn, now." He then looked straight at Dante, his smile dropping slightly.

"...I heard from miss Gertrude d'at ya have powa's, is d'at right, kid?"

The mallard's smile was suddenly gone and he looked away. "..."

Ace knew he had struck a nerve with that question. "Look, there's nothi'n wrong with d'at. I just want ta know if it's true-"

"For what?" Dante suddenly spat and looked at Ace with a glare, the bunny seemed taken back by the change but that didn't stop the young Looney from speaking. "If I say 'yes' you will turn around and leave, so I'll rather say 'no'."

"So d'ats how ya see things..." Ace muttered and glanced to a side in thought. He couldn't blame the kid from thinking that way, after all, interviews like these were probably nothing new to him.

If he wanted to know what was going on, he'd have to play his cards right, and luckily the Loonatics' leader knew that he needed to win Dante's trust.

He turned to the boy again, who was looking away angrily. Ace cringed a bit at that, but he replaced his expression with a sly grin. "Hey, ya said da Loonatic's reminded ya of supa' heroes, right?"

"..." Dante glanced at Ace, but said nothing.

The bunny decided to continue. "Tell me, what do supa' heroes have? Aside from weird uniforms."

"...They have... superpowers?" The mallard finally said, sounding confused. "Where are you getting with this?"

"Check it." Ace smiled a bit and he focused on a spot on the wall.

Dante followed his line of sight, but the young Looney saw nothing. Thinking the other was messing with him, he turned to look at Ace and was about to protest, but then he caught a glimpse of something-

Dante's eyes widened when he noticed the older Looney's eyes were glowing a blazing yellow light.

"Whoa!" He quickly stood up and stared closer at Ace's eyes, with a mix of both shock and amazement on his own. "Y-you can do that too!? How!?"

"So, d'at means ya have some tricks?" The glow in Ace's eyes subdued and Dante nodded quickly. "I sorta need ta see ta believe."

The mallard seemed insecure about it. "Uh, yeah, it's just... I don't know how to control them." He admitted, sounding embarrassed. "I know how to hold them back most of the time, but still..."

Ace hummed, quickly coming up with an idea. "...Well then, when do they activate? Maybe it's somethi'n ya do?"

"...!" Dante seemed to know the answer to that. "When I use the piano! It happened earlier today!" He ran to where his instrument was and, turning it on, looked for another song to play.

The bunny got closer and watched, intrigued by how the piano could provoke a reaction within the young Looney's power... if he did have one, that is.

When the mallard started to play, Ace's ears quickly perked up as he heard the music, recognizing it as a song from centuries ago called 'Counting Stars'; the kid wasn't lying when he said he knew how to play, and honestly, the bunny was amazed. He saw how Dante started to lose himself into the song, closing his eyes and moving his head in time with the melody he played, seeming quite happy himself.

Ace smiled as he watched him play and for a moment he almost forgot the reason he was there.

Until he saw an orange glow emanating from under the boys' palms.

Dante jumped back and away from the piano with a soft gasp and stared at his glowing hands with a small frown. "You see...?" He asked Ace, not looking at him.

"Ya bet I do." Ace said as he crouched next to him, shocked to see that it was true all the time. His sight was fixed on the glowing hands, and once the glow vanished he looked at Dante. "...Well, if ya ask me I t'ink I saw enough, we should end d'is interview."

The mallard's eyes widened slightly, then he looked sadly at the floor. The feeling of rejection started to crawl upon him. "Oh..."

"...So, how 'bout ya go get Miss Gertrude? I'm sure there is a papa' I need ta sign first, right?"

The boy gasped and looked straight at Ace, his eyes widened with disbelief. "...What?"

The Loonatics' leader looked back at Dante, smiling in a friendly way. "I ain't leavi'n ya here, kiddo. 'Sides," He shrugged. "I'm sure ya would be betta' with- _AHHH_!" He lost his balance as a sudden weight was lashed at him. Ace fell on his tail and almost took a defensive stand, but when he saw what it was he froze.

Dante was hugging him around the neck tightly, his beak resting on the other's shoulder and face hidden in the side of Ace's head.

The older Looney's ears caught the sound of faint whimpers coming from Dante; Ace felt his heart tightening lightly and he swallowed a small lump in his throat, before smiling and hugging the boy back.

"There, there... it's fine, kiddo." He spoke with a quiet voice, feeling the mallard starting to shiver. "It's gonna be fine..."

"...I..." He said, hiccuping a bit. "...I'm sorry, I'm just, I'm just... happy."

"Don't apologize, I know d'is means a lot for ya." Ace pat the boy's back a few times and could feel Dante calming down. "I can't assure ya d'at everythi'n will be a smooth ride, but leave it ta me and my friends, we'll be there for ya from now on, 'kay?"

He felt the mallard nod his head against him and then he let go from the hug. Dante was now smiling brightly, even is he was drying his tears with his sleeves. "M-Miss Gertrude will go crazy when I tell her...!"

The young Looney stood up and went to the door, looking at Ace one last time with a smile, before leaving the room to search for the lady.

Ace just sat there, the warm feeling in his chest growing even after that one hug. He knew he had done the right thing, he knew Dante was now going to be in a better place.

But a question that grew in his mind made him ponder and have the feeling cool almost entirely: _What about his teammates?_ They had no idea of what had just happened. The Looney would take Dante with him no matter what, but he thought it would be a better idea to call them before they headed to the base.

It got him worried about what the others would think, or what Dante himself would feel upòn arriving- what if the boy didn't like the others or the place he would be at? What if Zadavia disapproves of the team having a kid around, knowing how dangerous it would be for him? What could he do then?

The moment Gertrude entered the room with a folder holding the adoption papers, both her and Dante smiling happily, it was the moment the warmth returned to the bunny.

He reminded himself that he needed to push those thoughts aside if he would become the new guardian of the young Looney.

* * *

The papers were all signed, and Dante was officially going to be leaving the orphanage. But there was a thing the leader knew he had to do first.

"Kiddo, I gotta make a call." He looked down and the boy, who looked back at him. "I'm letti'n my pals know d'at ya are comi'n ova', but I need ta do d'at alone."

"Oh, alright. I'll go help Gertrude with my stuff then." Dante gave him a small smile but Ace could tell the mallard was a bit nervous, still, the boy did as told and left Ace on his own.

Sighing quietly and walking out of the orphanage where his flying motorcycle was, he retrieved his communication device, and cringed when he saw there were lost calls from the others. Ace had to shut it off during his meet-up with the boy. He saw they weren't from long ago, barely five minutes, so he knew his friends were not planning a rescue party to look out for him. Yet.

Dialing the number, he waited for someone to pick his call, and he didn't have to wait much.

_'Ace?'_ Lexi's voice came from the device.

"Hey Lex." He greeted back, hearing a sigh from the female member.

_'You were starting to get us worried, what happened?'_ She asked, Ace then heard someone walking closer in the background.

_'Lexi, is that Ace?'_ He heard Tech, and then Rev piped in. _'Oh-that's-a-relief! Where-is-he? Is-he-OK?'_

Lexi chuckled. _'He hadn't told me yet.'_

"Agh, sorry for worri'n ya guys." He mumbled. "But uhh, it's good ya are all in da same spot. Listen, I gotta tell ya guys somethi'n important..."

_'Hrm?'_ Was Slam's comment, and Ace could picture them all looking directly into the device which it didn't help at all.

_'You alright, chief?'_ Tech's comment sounded concerned, so he hurried to respond.

"I'm fine, no scratches. But it has nothi'n ta do with da robber. It's somethi'n d'at happened afta' d'at..."

Some mumbles. _'Like-what?'_ Rev asked. _'Don't-leave-us-hanging-here-Ace! What-happened?'_

Ace took a deep breath. "..." This was it.

"So I adopted a kid." He nearly blurted out.

**_'WHAT!?'_** Was the collective answer he got, making him cringe.

"Signed papa's and all, I'm taki'n him ta da base." Ace tried to keep his nerves still, but the confusion and shock from his friends were having an effect on him. "L-look guys, I know it sounds completely nuts, but ya gotta believe me when I tell ya d'at da kid must be with us."

_'But Ace, a kid? In our team?'_ Lexi questioned him. _'What is he going to do here? It's not safe for him.'_

_'I'm with Lexi here.'_ Tech commented. _'Ace, why didn't you call us first? A kid is an immense responsibility...'_

_'Why? I-mean-it's-very-sweet-you-adopted-a-kid-but-I-don't-get-why.'_ Rev sounded nervous, and Ace groaned lightly.

"...Look, I just wanted ta tell ya d'at I'm headi'n there, with him, and I need ya guys not freaki'n out when we arrive." He said, as serious as he could manage. "I will explain once I'm there, because it's not somethi'n I can say through d'is thing."

_'...'_ There was silence coming from the other side of the link, but then he heard another sigh from Lexi. _'Fine.'_ She said. _'We'll see when you get here... how's the boy called so we know?'_

"Dante."

_'Alright, we'll be waiting for you guys.'_

Ace nodded. "We'll be there right away. Ace out." He cut the communication and glanced at the entrance, and felt a bit heartbroken at what he saw.

Gertrude was there with Dante, the two were hugging each other close. Both of them were crying, but they were happy. Once they separated, the lady dried the mallard's tears and set him back on the ground, next to a box that had all his belongings. The two walked, holding hands, to where Ace was, who quickly helped them with the box.

"...Ya got everythi'n?" He asked the boy.

"Piano included." Dante nodded and looked back at Gertrude, who was standing right behind them as Ace put the box in his motorcycle. "...Um, Ace?"

"Hm?" He looked at the boy.

Dante kept looking at the lady. "...Miss Gertrude will be staying here, so I was wondering... can I come to see her once in a while?" He looked at the older Looney, with begging eyes.

Ace quickly nodded his head. "Sure, why not?" He looked at Gertrude. "If she doesn't mind it."

"Of course I wouldn't." She chuckled softly. "It will be lonely without him here and his piano plays, so I will be very happy if you ever stop by."

"Then we'll be seei'n ya soon." The Loonatics' leader put his hand on her shoulder and smiled kindly. "Ya can swear on it."

Gertrude smiled at Ace and nodded faintly. "...You take good care of him." She then said, seriously. "You are his new guardian, and he'll look up at you. Remember that."

"I will, ma'am, and I promise ta keep ya updated on everythi'n." He said and then stepped back. "Well... it's time ta go." Ace looked at Dante, who gave Gertrude one last hug, before following Ace to his vehicle. "Hang on." Ace got in first and then picked Dante, setting him safely next to him, and started the motorcycle.

Dante looked outside the window and waved goodbye at Gertrude, who did the same until they were off sight.

The young Looney kept looking out, amazed by the sight of the skyscrapers that started to appear once they left the northwest side of Acmetropolis, and headed east. "...Ace," He started, quietly. "what did your friends say?"

"Eh." He searched for the right words. "Well, they were shocked." Ace then smiled lightly. "But d'at won't change a thing. All they gotta do is ta get ta know ya."

"Is it?" Dante turned to him.

Ace nodded. "Well, and see ya powa's too."

"Called it." The mallard boy said flatly, and the older Looney couldn't help but laugh a bit.

Once he stopped, he let out a faith chuckle. "In any case," He glanced at Dante, smiling lightly. "I will be by your side, kiddo."

"...Thank you." He smiled. The rest of the ride was quiet, both thinking about how things would turn out once they arrived.

Ace the most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There you have it! Aw, wasn't that sweet? But what will the rest of the gang think once they arrive? Again, you will have to wait for the next update, so until next time!
> 
> Please don't forget to leave a Kudos and comment~
> 
> ~DreamerAwaken.


	3. First Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Dante will finally get to know the whole gang of the Loonatics, what will their reaction be?

The flight took them no longer than thirty minutes. And yet, Ace thought, the boy next to him had fallen asleep like a rock. He could hear the light snores leaving his beak, and from the corner of his eye he saw the young mallard leaning on the motorcycle's glass window; Dante had fallen asleep while gazing outside, it seemed, and the light humming of the vehicle lured him to sleep.

The older Looney couldn't fight the small smile that came to his face as he looked up ahead; it was an odd feeling, but seeing the boy so calm in his company made him feel at ease as well.

 _'I wonda' if d'is is what parenti'n feels like...'_ He thought quietly and sighed as he saw the headquarters right ahead. He needed to push his thoughts aside for now, as there was another matter for him to take care of.

Ace maneuvered the motorcycle around some buildings and made it back to the base in no time. He pushed a few buttons next to the panel board of his vehicle and dialed his signal to the base. He didn't wait too long for someone to pick up- actually, it hardly lasted a second. The reason was rather obvious.

 _'Hey-Ace! Are-you-nearby? I'm-getting-anxious-here! Well,-not-in-a-bad-way,-because-I-don't-want-the-kid-to-take-it-the-wrong-way,-but-you-get-my-point,-right!?'_ As usual, Rev's quick speech gave Ace a very accurate image of the Road Runner, probably babbling and speaking and being fidgety, all over the news he had delivered a while ago.

 _'Poor Lexi.'_ Ace chuckled at the thought of his teammate dealing with a nervous Rev and shook his head, fully knowing the other couldn't see that because they were using the comm. link. "Relax Rev, kiddo's asleep. I just arrived by da way, t'ink ya can open da door and let us in?"

He heard a small gasp. _'Oh,-definitely! Hang-on!'_

Ace heard a _'click'_ in the background and then saw the metallic door sliding open. He thanked Rev and got inside as soon as his vehicle could pass through. "I'll get there right away, tell da o'das ta wait for us in da main room, a'ight?" He said as he parked the vehicle, and heard Rev making an affirmative sound before cutting the comm. link.

The bunny looked down at Dante once he took his seat belt off, and carefully started to shake him by his shoulder. He made sure to be extra careful to avoid the boy's beak to hit the window as he shook him. 

"Hey, Dante? We arrived." A little groan, but nothing, Ace chuckled. "Move or I'll be forced ta use ano'da powa' of mines, kid." He warned.

 _"...Mmmmnoooo..."_ The mallard mumbled, moving away from the bunny's hand.

Ace grinned. "I warned ya." He undid the boy's seat belt.

Dante's eyes shot open as he just realized what was about to happen. "...W-wait, no-!" Too late.

Loud giggling and a few yelps echoed in the parking lot of the headquarters, as Ace mercilessly tickled the mallard under his arm's pits and stomach. Dante giggled and squirmed, but didn't kick, and Ace couldn't help but laugh as well at the display.

"A-Ace! Sto-o-o-p i-it!" Dante tried to say between his fits of giggling, using his hands to push Ace's off him in vain.

"Not 'til ya admit defeat!" The older Looney cried so he could be heard over the laughter.

The young mallard was running out of breath, so he had no choice. "I-I give up! I GIVE UP! I SAID IT!" The hands were quickly removed and Dante took a deep breath, and then released it as a relieved sigh, but he kept giggling and chuckling as he laid sprawled on the seat. "You huge jerk!"

Ace gasped and acted offended, putting a hand over his chest to exaggerate it. "Ya mean, ya ain't interested into meeti'n my friends anymore? Ya would ra'da sleep here instead?"

"I didn't say that!" Dante sat up and looked at Ace with a little glare, but his eyes reflected his amusement. "I meant that there should have been a better way to wake me up!"

"Maybe there was, but tickli'n ya was both da fastest and da funniest way ta do it." He laughed lightly as the young Looney huffed. Ace then turned around and opened the door. "But really, let's go kiddo, before Rev's motor mouth ticks everyone off." 

He got off the motorcycle after picking the box with the kid's belongings and Dante soon followed him out. Ace closed the door and the two started to make their way towards the main room. It was a few floors up, so they called an elevator and waited for it to arrive.

Ace felt something tugging lightly on his leg and he looked down to see Dante; he wasn't looking at his new guardian, but Ace could make something out of his expression as the kid glanced at the floor. "...Ya worried?"

"Not really." He mumbled.

"Nervous?"

"...Yeah, actually." Dante glanced up at Ace, frowning lightly. "I mean, I don't even know how they're called; you just said one of them was Rev, but I don't know who he is. And I'm pretty sure he knows at least something about me."

Seeing his point, Ace flashed him a smile. "How 'bout I tell ya a little 'bout them? D'at way ya can make ya self an idea of my friends."

The mallard nodded, eagerly. "Yeah, sounds good!"

"Well, I ain't sure if they will be weari'n da uniforms when we arrive, but I'll tell ya da basic stuff." Ace held the box under one arm to make a few motions with the other. "OK so, like I told ya we're all Looneys; one of them is Rev, he is a Road Runna' and wears a red uniform, he is very nice and energetic, kinda behaves like a kid your age, but he's pretty smart when we need him ta. He talks very fast too, for reals, ya betta' be patient with him. Then there's Tech, he is a Coyote and wears green, a complete genius; he comes with all da gadgets and vehicles we use, like da motorcycle."

"He made that?" Dante asked amazed, turning to see all the vehicles parked. "All from scratch?"

Ace nodded. "Yeah, he likes ta prove himself with his work every time. He is pretty quiet, but he's nice once ya get ta know him." He heard a _'ding'_ , and saw that the elevator had arrived. 

The door slid open and they walked in, and Ace pressed the button of the floor they were heading to before continuing. "Ano'da guy in our team is Slam, a Tasmanian Devil, built like a house and is a bottomless pit, but Slam is a very good partna' and ya can't help but watch after him sometimes, also, he doesn't speak too clearly so don't worry if ya don't get him at first. Finally, there's Lexi." Dante looked up, blinking. "Yeah, she's a girl, ain't nothi'n wrong with d'at, ya know?" He smiled a bit as he saw the kid blush with embarrassment.

"I didn't say that, but, is she the only girl in your team?" The kid looked at Ace. "Because, I mean, being the only girl or boy in a group is not very nice."

Now Ace blinked. "How so?"

Dante glanced down, avoiding eye contact. "Well... when the orphanage was full of people, me and Pinkster were always the only Looneys there, so the rest of the kids always pushed us aside." He made a small throat noise, it sounded angry. "They were all jerks, honestly. At least we always had each other."

"Pinksta' was da kid in da photo, right?" Ace hummed as Dante nodded in agreement. "Ya were da last two ta be picked."

The mallard nodded again, softer this time. "Yeah..." The older Looney just noticed that was a sore spot for Dante, so he put his hand on his shoulder for a silent comfort.

"...Ya know? I used ta t'ink d'at, when Lexi joined us, but soon we all noticed she hardly cared 'bout d'at; she's very tough, tougher than any of us if I say so." Dante finally looked up at him, seeming amazed to hear about Lexi. "She's intelligent and has a strong will and personality too. We're close ta each o'da, and I know I can trust her with anythi'n."

"She sounds pretty cool... and so does the rest." Dante looked down quietly.

Ace looked pensive for a while, before speaking up. "Look, if ya are nervous, ya don't have ta do or say anythi'n, I'll be backi'n ya up if ya want me ta."

Dante looked at him. "Uh, sure I guess..."

"They are all very close ta me, but..." The older Looney turned serious. "Honestly, I'm not sure how they'll react when they see d'at ya have powa's, because I hadn't told them; they'll be worried at first I guess, because we neva' thought a kid could do what we do, so if they start maki'n too many questions or ya feel too uncomfortable, ya can tell me. A'ight?" His looks softened.

The mallard nodded softly, seeming now more at ease, before turning his head at his guardian. "...Thanks, Ace." He smiled lightly.

"No problem." The older Looney smiled down at him, and then the elevator reached their stop. With a sigh, Ace let Dante hold his hand as they walked down the corridor towards the only door that separated them from the rest of the team.

They stood in front of it, looked at each other with a slightly nervous glance, and then Ace entered the secret code to enter.

He heard the usual 'click' and finally opened the door. Dante stood hidden behind his leg, but the leader didn't open the door completely; he needed to see if all his teammates were there.

As Ace expected, they were all at the entrance, staring directly at him with questioning looks and slight variations; Slam seemed more confused than anything, Rev had a slightly anxious look in his eyes, and Lexi and Tech... well, they both exported serious looks, but that's how he expected them to be.

"...Sorry for da wait." He started, feeling Dante shifting behind his leg.

There was a short moment in where no one said anything until Lexi spoke up: "...So, are we going to meet the boy or...?"

The leader sighed lightly, nodded, and looked behind him. Dante was nervous, but managed to nod, and followed Ace when he entered the room.

He heard a few soft gasps and looked up nervously from his spot behind Ace's leg.

"A Looney kid?" Tech looked at Ace, his serious look replaced by one of surprise. "Is that why you adopted him?"

"Actually-" Ace tried to explain as he closed the door and walked near them, but a sudden yelp of Dante made him whip his head behind of him and saw Rev picking the boy in his arms. "Hey, Rev!"

Rev's face was one of adoration an excitement as he held the boy at arm's length. "Oh,-just-look-at-him! He-reminds-me-of-Rip-when-he-was-a-little-baby! So-cute-and-tiny!" Dante blinked many times, surprised at how fast this guy's speech was. "My-name-is-Rev! I'm-so-happy-to-finally-meet-you,-Dante!"

"N-nice to meet you too...?" The mallard boy said quietly. He then felt somebody else picking him up, it was Ace.

"Easy Rev." Was all he said after setting Dante down again. "Ya guys need ta hear me out first."

Lexi crossed her arms, she still seemed serious, but her looks had considerably softened when she laid her eyes on the boy. "What happened Ace? It's not your style to take these sorts of decisions without telling us anything."

The leader made a motion towards the sofas and they all got the message. The Loonatics took their usual spots on the seats, but Ace was the only one who stood up. Dante wasn't sure if he should sit as well, but when Ace motioned him towards a small seat near him, he obeyed and sat down.

Ace then explained everything to them, having to practice the speech the whole way back from the orphanage. Everyone listened carefully, and they all seemed touched when they heard about Dante being the only one left in the building, but he still hadn't reached the whole details when Tech asked: "I think I can understand how you felt about it, but you must have given this a lot more thought, Ace."

"Mm-hmm..." Slam nodded next to him, quietly.

"I couldn't t'ink 'bout it." This response from their leader made them all look up in surprise. "Da reason I took him with me is that we need ta protect him, and not because he's an orphan, guys."

Lexi seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

Ace finally looked at Dante, who sat nervously during the whole explanation and motioned him to come. The mallard stood up and walked next to Ace's side. The older Looney looked at his teammates once he felt the boy right next to him. "...He's got powa's like us."

"What!?" They all said in unison, eyes wide and unbelieving.

"Him? But-why!? He's-TOO-young-to-have-powers!" Rev said, worriedly, but Ace shook his head.

"Wish I knew, but da reason he was still there was because of d'at." Ace looked at them. "It was only a matta' of time before someone heard 'bout him and made a ruckus of it, or worse. D'ats why I couldn't leave him back there, he could've been in serious danga'."

Everyone looked at each other, their shock making it difficult for them to try and comprehend the situation at hand. Lexi looked down at Dante with a worried glance, then at Ace. "...You do realize that it will be dangerous for him to stay with us as well, right?"

"I know d'at, Lex." Ace looked down, frowning lightly. "But, like I was told by da lady, there wasn't any betta' option for him." He then looked up. "I admit I should've told ya guys soona', but I wanted ta do it in person; and I know d'at it won't be easy for any of us, but we gotta make d'is work somehow."

"Err... Ace?" Slam's grumbling voice came up. "Wut can he doo?"

Ace blinked. "I... y'know? I'm not sure myself." Seeing all the blank expression his comment received, he hurried to explain. "I mean, I saw him activati'n his powa's! But not usi'n them." He looked down a bit nervously at Dante, as if hoping the other could help him out. The message was clear for the boy, thankfully.

But Dante wasn't very happy about it.

"You see..." He started quietly. "It's just that..."

"You dun know?" Slam asked quietly. Ace took that in mind, it wouldn't be surprising to know that the boy had no idea of what his abilities could do. But seeing Dante shake his head confused him.

Ace then remembered what he had promised. "Ya don't have ta prove anythi'n now." He reminded the young Looney. "Ya can do d'at some o'da time-"

"It's not that."

"Huh?"

Dante looked down, his hands were shaking a bit, and he held them together in front of him. "...It's, it's just... they aren't... 'safe' to use." He couldn't meet any of the confused glances the Loonatics were giving him. "...Every couple that came for the interviews said the same thing..."

This stuck them quite hard.

"You mean..." Lexi said quietly, looking down at him. "Your powers appeared whenever a couple came to see you?" Dante gave a faint nod. "...I'm sorry to ask this, but, how are they not 'safe'?"

"Um,-Lexi-..." Rev tried to intervene, but she just continued. "I'm asking that because, in short terms, our powers can cause a lot of damage, but since we had learned to use them, they aren't labeled as 'dangerous'."

Dante finally looked at her, blinking. "R-really?" She nodded, a very faith smile on her lips. "...But, they..."

Ace put a hand on his shoulder. "Never mind what they said, they couldn't understand your situation and freaked out, like any o'das." He looked at Dante with honest eyes. "...But we ain't any of them, kiddo."

It became quiet.

Dante looked at each one of them, trying to figure out their expressions- he always did that when any new couple came to see him so that he could see if they were nervous or scared because Gertrude had to explain his situation to everyone who came to see him; it became a habit after a while, see their initial fear, and then see that fear grow more as each minute passed.

It's not like he enjoyed seeing them scared, he just hoped to not see it after the first few interviews.

And he didn't see it happen with Ace, now that he thought about it. Even now, the only faces he saw were ones of either understanding, or silent comfort.

"..." Dante sighed. "...Do I have to show them...?" He looked pleadingly at Ace.

His guardian gave him an assuring smile. "Well, d'at could be da betta' way."

The young mallard bit his tongue carefully; he thought about bringing out his piano since it was one thing that tended to activate his powers. Something told him, however, that the instrument wouldn't be enough.

He then remembered when Ace showed him his powers back at the orphanage, what did he do? At first, it seemed like he just stood still and nothing else, but Dante realized that what Ace had probably done was focus.

 _'Focus,'_ He repeated in his mind and closed his eyes, holding a small hope for that to work for him as well. _'I need to focus.'_ And that's what he did.

Everything had gone quiet once again, as all eyes were fixed on the young Looney. Dante kept his eyes closed, expecting something, _anything_ to happen, but he felt _nothing_. He waited, but nothing changed or felt different within him.

He felt disappointed and felt bad for disappointing _Ace_ as well.

Dante was just about to give up, besides, he was starting to get thirsty-

"It-it's true!" He heard Tech's voice, and his eyes snapped open. His hands were glowing with a furious, blazing orange light.

Dante panicked as he recognized that _one_ certain glow.

"Hey, what's up?" Ace blinked at the boy's expression, but quickly got his answer as the glow brightened and created a wave of heat.

"T-take cover!" Dante shouted, and everyone yelped as they hid behind the cushion. The heat got to a certain, familiar point, and the mallard closed his eyes, expecting the worse to happen.

_**...SPLAT!** _

His eyes opened quickly in confusion as the heat ended as quick as it started, and he looked down to find right in front of him a puddle of... _orange juice?_ "...Huh, that's a new one." He mumbled, then looked up. "Um, false alarm!"

It was sort of amusing for the boy to see the heads of the Loonatics poking out from behind the sofa carefully. Ace looked down at the puddle, then at Duck questioningly. "Wait, d'ats what got ya nervous? **Orange juice?** "

"I wasn't expecting juice _this time!_ " He said in his defense, and everyone moved from behind the sofa.

Rev inspected the puddle and tilted his head at the young mallard. "What-do-you-mean- _'this-time'_?" He asked.

Dante rubbed his arm. "Well, I... accidentaly used this power a few times before, but this is the first time it made orange juice... honestly, I'm glad it did."

Slam blinked. "Why?"

"Uh, what happened the other times?" Lexi questioned.

"...I _nearly_ blew a room up this one time." He mumbled and glanced away.

Everyone stared at him wide-eyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: First meetings sometimes are pretty awkward, but luckily things went pretty smoothly for Dante.
> 
> What will happen now? Next update might answer that! In the meantime, please leave a Kudos and comment what your thoughts are!
> 
> ~DreamerAwaken.


	4. Settling In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it's been a while!
> 
> First off I wanna to apologize, both for taking so long with updates and for committing a little mistake- this chapter you're abbout to read has been up of FF for YEARS and, somehow, I forgot to post it here.
> 
> The story itself it's old, so I might get back at it to update it someday- right now I can't, I'm in my last year of college and I have to work on several things before considering writing for fun.
> 
> Still, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

"Eh, Dante?"

The duck Looney looked up at Ace. "Yes?"

The bunny kneeled down a bit to be around the young mallard's size. "Me and da guys gotta talk 'bout somethi'n; we might take a while, so why don't ya go set your stuff in a room?" He then looked at Rev. "I t'ink da storage room is good? Not da one at da back of da traini'n room, tho, I meant da one down da corridor."

"I-was-thinking-the-same-thing! Let's-go-and-make-it-your-room-then!" The Road Runner smiled at the young Looney, who slowly nodded. The quick speech was something he still needed to get used to. Rev carefully picked the box with the boy's belongings and waited at the exit of the main room for Dante to follow him.

The young mallard looked up at Ace. His guardian flashed him a small smile which he returned, and then went to join Rev, the two soon leaving the room and walking down the corridor.

Once far enough, to the point he guessed no one was listening, Dante looked at Rev. "Uh, Rev?"

"Mm? What-is-it-Dante? Do-you-need-anything?" The Roadrunner stopped dead in his tracks, looking at the boy besides him. "Bathroom? It's-right-around-the corner, want-me-to-take-you-there? Or-are-you-thirsty? The-kitchen-is-back-in-the-main-room-but-Ace-is-still-there-so-"

"N-no! None of that!" Dante waved his arms frantically in front of him, yeah, the speech was going to take a while to get used to. "I mean, thanks for telling me, but..."

He glanced back at the main room in silence, and Rev seemed a bit worried; was the kid that uncomfortable around him? He really, really hoped it wasn't that, because he hoped to be good friends with him, but what if Dante hated him already?

Before Rev's train of thought could get any further, Dante looked back at him. "What do you think Ace and the others are talking about?"

"H-huh?" The red member of the team blinked, not realizing that could worry the young mallard, because kids usually didn't care for that sort of stuff, then again, Dante wasn't an ordinary kid. Calming down, he spoke up. "Oh, well, I-wouldn't-worry-about-it-much! They're-probably-figuring-out-how-to-tell-Zadavia-about-you, or-how-we-can-train-you-and-your-powers, or-who'll-take-care-of-you-when-there's-an-emergency." He smiled. "You-know, adult-stuff!"

"T-then, um..." He stuttered, having only caught a few words the older bird had spoken. "Shouldn't you… be with them?"

"No, no." Rev waved his hand lightly. "I'm-happy-with-whatever-they-think-it's-best, and-I'll-happier-if-I-get-to-help-out-with-anything."

Dante couldn't help but ask: "And if you don't get to do anything?"

Rev rubbed his chin. "Well-that-probably-won't-happen, but-in-case-it-does, I'll-be-fine-either-way-because-I-know-Ace-and-the-others-can-make-very-good-decisions." He then smiled. "So-like-I-said, don't-worry! You'll-be-with-us-from-now-on, so-I-know-you'll-be-fine."

This brought a little smile to the mallard's beak and nodded after. "OK, then," He looked ahead of the corridor. "Let's go to my room, I wanna see it!" Happy to see his excitement, Rev gave him an affirmative sound and they quickly made their way until they stopped in front of a metal door.

The Roadrunner left the box on the floor and looked at Dante. "Here-we-are! This-will-be-your-room!" And clicking a button next to the door, the metal panels slid open.

The moment the door slid open completely, Dante was anything but amazed, well, maybe he was, but not in a good way. And he was sure no one would be very excited if their room had this many cleaning devices and tools blocking the entrance, dusty boxes filled with stuff on old shelves, and a lot of other things laying around- plus, the room smelled funny because the windows were closed for who knows how long.

 _'Not even the orphanage was this messy.'_ He thought, then looked up at Rev with uncertainty. "Is this really going to be my place...?" A few things fell off a shelf just then, making him jump slightly at the noise. Rev was unaffected and was still smiling.

"It-will!" The Roadrunner chirped. "But-not-with-all-these-things-in-it, obviously! I'll-take-care-of-it, give-me-five."

"Minutes?" He said deadpanned, knowing right away five minutes wouldn't be enough to clean that room.

Rev shook his head and laughed a bit. "No, silly! Seconds!"

Dante stared at Rev like if was crazier than he would've thought, but that stare was changed into one of shock when the Roadrunner's eyes flared with a red light.

And next thing came all in a blur, quite literally, a big red blur that took everything out of the storage room and moved them somewhere, then returned and repeated the same process a lot of times.

Dante forgot to count, but when Rev finished, the bigger bird smiled proudly of his work. "4-seconds! New-record-of-the-day!" The mallard just blinked and looked back at the room.

It was empty, and it smelled like soap? And the walls and floors were shiny? Did the Roadrunner seriously clean it as well?

"How...?" He addressed the question to Rev since his eyes didn't leave the room that was filled with things, literally, four seconds ago.

"Oh, you-know-we-all-have-powers-right? Well, I-can-move-and-run-very-very-very-fast!" Rev smiled, and Dante felt like slapping his own forehead for forgetting that fact.

 _'Right... I'm not the only one now.'_ He smiled at Rev after thinking that. "Well, that was pretty cool! I never saw someone that fast in my life!"

The Roadrunner laughed happily. "I'm-happy-you-liked-that! How-about-we-go-settle-your-things-down-for-good?"

"Sure!" Dante walked into his new room, smelling more of that soap. "...Is it me, or does it smells like-?"

"Bamboo." Rev cut him as he walked in. "It's-the-only-scent-we-all-agreed-with; you-should-have-seen-us-discussing-over-that! Everyone-was-very-serious-about-the-scent-they-liked-best- except-Tech, his-nose-is-pretty-sensible-so-he-didn't-like-anything-we-showed-him!"

Dante made himself the mental image, it was a silly one at best. He smiled a bit. "And how did you choose Bamboo?"

"Ace-found-it." The red Loonatic walked towards a panel on the wall. "We-choose-it-because-it-didn't-bother-Tech's-nose-that-much, and-because-I-insisted-on-that-too!"

"You and Tech are good friends, right?" The question was pretty innocent, even Dante had to admit, but he saw that Rev flinched- barely noticeable, but he didn't miss it. "Uh, did I say something...wrong?" The young mallard asked, worried he had struck a nerve.

Rev quickly turned to him, smiling and quickly waving both of his hands in front of him. "Oh, no, no-no-no! Nothing-wrong! Tech-is-one-of-my-friends-despite-how-much-we-can-bump-heads-at-times-but-he's-my-best-friend! Anyway, come-here, I-want-to-show-you-something!"

Was it him, or did Rev want to switch the subject of him and Tech? Figuring out it was just weird adult's stuff, and letting his curiosity take over, he walked to where the tall bird was standing to see what he wanted to show him.

"See-this?" Rev pointed to the panel. "With-this-gadget-you-can-choose-a-color-for-your-walls-and-ceiling, or-you-can-choose-an-image-from-the-internet-and-use-that-instead."

"Sounds cool." Dante tried to reach for it. "How can I use this?"

Rev started to click a few buttons. "It's-a-bit-more-complicated-than-it-seems-because-it-needs-a-code-to-work." The Roadrunner finished typing and gained access to the system. He then looked at Dante. "All-set! What-would-you-like?"

The young mallard thought about it for a while. "...I think I want an image, definitely orange!" He smiled. "I really like orange."

"Okie-dokie!" Rev started to narrow his search in the browser. "What-else? You-want-cars? Clowns? Animals?"

"Umm..." Dante seemed a bit more troubled to make up his mind this time, as there were many things he liked; cars weren't that interesting to him, and he didn't like clowns at all, he liked animals but he didn't want puppies or kittens in his room.

He then thought about musical notes, because he liked their shapes and forms, and was soon reminded of the first song he played for Gertrude: 'Twinkle Little Star'.

It was something that meant a lot for both of them.

"I think I know!" He looked at Rev, beaming. "I want stars."

"Stars? Nice-choice!" Narrowing the search again, a lot of starry orange backgrounds started to appear. Rev picked Dante so that the boy could pick one. "See-anything-you-like? There's-quite-the-variety-of-them!"

The young Looney could see what the Roadrunner meant; there were many backgrounds, all of them different, but surprisingly childish. He didn't like the first he saw and scrolled down to find the right image. He soon found one, it had glowing stars with a black background, and pointed at it. "I like this one."

"It's-pretty." Rev smiled and set the boy down, then selected the image. "You-want-this-to-be-on-all-your-walls?"

Dante looked at his room and tried to imagine it with the same wallpaper everywhere- while it could look good, it might be too much to see that many stars every time he entered. "...I don't think so, maybe in just one wall? Can that be done?" He turned to Rev, who nodded. "But what about the other walls?"

"You-know, Lexi-has-an-image-of-a-sunset-in-one-of-her-walls-while-the-rest-are-plain-windows. I-mean-you-don't-have-such-big-windows-in-this-room-but-maybe-you-can-pick-a-color-instead!"

The mallard smiled. "Then, I want the walls to be orange!"

The Roadrunner nodded and, before finishing the coding he needed to do, he turned to the boy. "Do-you-know-which-wall-should-have-the-starry-background?"

This time around, the young Looney shook his head. "No clue, do you?"

Rev made an affirmative sound, then pointed to the ceiling. "We-can-paint-that-as-well, what-do-you-think?" Dante smiled and nodded, clearly liking the idea. Once done typing, Rev picked up the young mallard and signaled a button in the pad. "Click-on-that-button-and-your-room-will-be-all-set!"

"OK!" The boy did as he was told, and the moment he clicked the button a faith humming sound was heard. He looked up and saw how the walls started to change color around them. Soon, the room was just like they pictured- orange walls and a black ceiling with glowing stars... wait, they really did glow! "Rev, was that supposed to happen?" He pointed at the ceiling.

"Hm? Oh!" Rev smiled, quickly catching up on what the young Looney meant. "No, I-did-that! I-figured-out-you'd-like-that,-do-you-like-it?" His tone seemed a bit softer at the end, rather sheepish.

Dante smiled widely. "I love it! Thanks, Rev!"

The Roadrunner beamed. "I'm-glad-you-do!" He carefully put the mallard down. "Well, now-all-that's-left-is-to-put-your-things-in-here!" He went outside and brought the box, leaving it in the middle of the room and letting Dante open it. He made a small surprised noise. "You-have-a-toy-piano?"

"Yep! It's really cool right?" The young Looney smiled and removed other things from the box. There were just a couple of toys, a big book filled with piano music sheets, a few sets of clothing, hairbrush, toothbrush, a blanket, and a framed picture. He started to look around, wondering where to put his belongings... he realized just then the furniture wasn't there. "Uhh..."

Rev was quick to catch on. "Ah, oops! Give-me-another-5!" Dante smiled as he saw the Roadrunner dashing off again, the red blur going and returning at least four times before sitting in a spot next to the box. There was now a small basic bed, a night table next to it, a desk with a chair and a bookshelf. "We-need-to-buy-a-few-things-now-that-you're-here."

The mallard only tilted his head. "Buy things? Like what?"

"Well, bed-covers-and-things-around-your-size." The red Loonatic smiled, already excited with the idea. It was like taking care of his young brother all over again! "Need-help-settling-your-things?"

"The piano is a bit heavy for me, but please be careful with it..."

* * *

Back in the living room, the other Looneys were at the table. Slam was busy eating something while Ace, Tech and Lexi were planning on what to do.

"We'll have to inform Zadavia." Lexi started. "Like, right now. I still can't believe a kid has powers like us, maybe she knows about this?"

Ace seemed rather unsure. "I know we gotta tell Boss Lady, but…"

Tech noticed the uncertainty in Ace's tone, which wasn't common. "What's wrong, chief?"

"It's just- like Lexi says, he's just a kiddo." The bunny crossed his arms. "And, heck, what if Zadavia disapproves? With him bei'n a kid and us protecti'n da city-" He sighed. "…I dunno, what if he can't stay?"

Lexi seemed to caught on, and gave Ace a sympathetic smile. "Look, I doubt that'll happen- besides, Dante is under your care since it was you who signed the papers." She gestured to the machinery that let them communicate with their leader. "But, we'll never know if we don't tell her."

"Should I, then?" Tech asked, looking at Ace. The bunny still didn't seem convinced, but he knew that there was no way to avoid this, so with a sigh he nodded and watched as Tech walked to the device and started to contact Zadavia.

Ace and Lexi went to stand by his side, with Slam staying at the background and watching them, in wait. Soon the call was answered, and the holographic figure of the woman stood tall before them. "Loonatics," She started. "what is the matter? I have not been informed of a thread upon Acmetropolis."

"It ain't no thread, Boss Lady." Ace started, trying to remain calm as he talked. "But somethi'n came up and we need a word with ya."

"Fair well…" She motioned him to continue.

The bunny took a deep breath. "Boss… did ya know t'ere is anotha' Looney with powa's in da city?"

Zadavia's eyes widened. "A sixth Loonatic, you mean?"

"Well-"

"Ace!"

Ace visibly flinched and quickly turned his head to the source of the voice, finding Dante and Rev at the entrance, with the Roadrunner giving his leader a nervous smile. The young mallard, however, was looking at the woman in wonder… who was staring back at him.

_Dang it._

"…Ace," She said, and the mentioned was sure he felt a shiver going down his spine. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Uhh…" He tried to quickly find words to say, but the mallard came quicker to him and stood besides his leg, still looking up at Zadavia. Ace took a deep breath, and trying to put on a brave face, he also looked up at her. "Zadavia, d'is is da Looney I was tryi'n ta tell ya 'bout."

"This… child?" She asked, her attention focused on Dante, who hid a little behind Ace's leg. "It can't be."

The young mallard didn't know who she was, but he could tell she was not convinced with Ace's words. For that sole reason, he focused and felt his hands warming up with enough energy to make them glow, and she gasped softly.

"But how?" She asked, mostly to herself, before turning to Ace. "How did you locate him?"

Ace was about to answer, but then felt Lexi poking his arm. He looked at her, only to find she was giving him Dante's adoption certificate. He nodded, and then looked back at the woman. "He was in an orphanage when I meet him." Ace then let her see the certificate. "And… well, I couldn't leave him d'ere, so-"

"You adopted him." She finished, and Ace could only nod. She frowned slightly. "Ace, you do realize the responsibility of your actions, do you?"

"I do!" He exclaimed. "But- look, I'll ratha' have him here with us than with anyone else. No one would know how ta help him."

Zadavia stood quiet for a few moments, then: "Is everyone agreeing with you?"

"Yes." Lexi was the first to answer, and soon the others followed after her example.

"For what we have heard, his powers were the reason no one wanted to watch after him." Tech said.

Rev quickly jumped in. "And-we-can-take-good-care-of-him! And-help-him-with-his-powers!"

"Uh-huh." Was Slam's response in the background.

"Boss Lady…" Ace said, his hand over Dante's head. "I know it's risky, but we wanna help him, like ya helped us."

Zadavia looked at Ace for a moment, before slowly turning her attention back to the young Looney. "…What is your name, young one?" She asked, her voice much softer.

Dante peeked out slightly from behind Ace's legs, and after some hesitation he answered: "I'm… Dante Duck, miss…"

"Well, Dante…" She started. "Yours will be a long path, but I'm sure Ace and the others are the right people to guide you through," Everyone began to smile at her words. "So therefore, I welcome you to the Loonatics."

"T-thank you!" He smiled at her, and she did in return, before turning to Ace.

"I expect updates of his progress along your informs." She said, and the bunny nodded. "Take well care of him, and yourselves."

"Will do, Ace out." He said, and the communication ended. Only a few moments passed, before Ace let out a relieved sigh. "Well, d'at went betta' than I thought."

Dante looked up at him, curious. "Who was she? She seemed pretty… serious."

"That's our boss, Zadavia." Lexi said, crossing her arms over her chest with a smile before turning to look at their leader. "I told you there was no need to freak out, Ace."

Ace shoot her a small glare. "I wasn't freaki'n out, I was just worried." Ignoring the snicker from his teammate, he looked down at the young Looney. "So, did ya and Rev make ya room?"

"Oh, yeah! I wanted to show it to you!" He beamed, now tugging Ace's arm. Rev smiled. "I-think-we-both-did-a-good-job-on-it."

Tech looked at the clock, it was already late. "We should probably make something to eat while you're at it." He said, before hearing a loud belch from the kitchen, undoubtedly Slam's. He looked at his teammate, unamused. "…And before we ran out of food."

The Devil Tasmanian grinned sheepishly. "Sorreh…"

Everyone shared a quick laugh before Ace followed Dante to his new room, and stopped in the middle of the way as he remembered something: "Hang on, I gotta take d'is off." He signaled his uniform. Dante couldn't say a single word before Ace pressed a button and the costume basically vanished, and it was quite surprising.

"Your fur isn't black and yellow?" He asked, confused as he saw that the bunny's fur was grey, and his muzzle white. "How's that possible?"

"Eh, don't sweat it, most things don't make much sense 'round here. Da costumes are like d'is so people can't tell who we are without 'em." Ace said as he stretched his limbs.

Dante tilted his head up at his guardian as they continued to walk. "Shouldn't you be wearing it, then?"

"Ain't no people seei'n, 'sides, I doubt we're headi'n out again." He shrugged, and they made it to the young mallard's room. Ace took a quick look and smiled. "Hey, sweet deal ya got here."

"Rev said I should get more things, but I'm fine with what I have." Dante got in and sat on his bed, bouncing a bit. "Also, Rev is super fast! He settled everything on his own!"

Ace shoot him a playful look. "Everythi'n? Ya just sat and watched?"

The young Looney quickly shook his head. "No, I helped! I picked the colors of my room and settled a few things myself!"

"Good ta know." The bunny smiled. "And 'bout getti'n ya more thi'ns, I t'ink its not a bad idea. I checked and ya were short on clothes and all d'at. Bet Lexi would like ta shop a lil'."

Dante seemed unsure. "Are you sure of that…?"

"Why don't we ask her?" Ace pointed back at the door. "Tech and Rev are probably done maki'n dinner."

"So soon?" The small duck asked as he stood up from his bed, following Ace out of his room.

The older Looney chuckled. "With how fast Rev works in da kitchen? I wouldn't doubt it."

* * *

Just like Ace had said, food was ready and everyone where taking their seats when they reached the main room, and all of the Loonatics were without their uniforms. Dante had to admit, they all looked very… normal; he guessed the costumes did the right thing by hiding their identities, even if they were basically the same person. The colors could really put you off.

"Hey-guys! We-made-pasta-and-meatballs! But-I'm-not-sure-if-Dante-likes-this. Do-you-like-pasta?" Rev had asked, and the young Looney nodded sheepishly and was about to join them by the table when Rev spoke again. "Ah, whoops! Forgot-the-juice."

"Do we still have fruit left?" Lexi asked as the Roadrunner went to check the fridge, and he was quick to answer: "No-we-don't!"

Ace chuckled. "Eh, guess we all forgot ta go ta get groceries. Water is it." But as he was about to sit down, Dante grabbed his sleeve and tugged lightly. "What is it?"

"I can make juice!" He said, smiling. "Just like earlier today!"

Tech was quick to intercept. "I'm… sure we appreciate the gesture Dante, but, since your powers hold the surprise factor-"

The young mallard seemed confused by the word. "What does that mean?"

"It means they are random." Lexi said, and he got it. Dante turned to look at Tech. "Are they really?"

"Well…" Tech put his hand under his chin and glanced to a side, as he did whenever he thought out loud. "You made juice here, that we all know, but before that you mentioned your powers did something else." He looked back at the young mallard. "I just don't see any relation with 'explosives' and 'juice', so my hypothesis is that you hold the… 'random' fact in your abilities."

Dante blinked, and thought about it, maybe he did? But thinking back then…

"I… don't know." He said, a bit unsure. "It's like I told you, I never expected to make juice, the other times my powers showed up all they did was the… other thing!" Tech made a thoughtful hum. Dante looked at them with pleading eyes. "Please, can I at least try?"

Everyone turned to look at Ace, and he thought about it. It was a pretty soon for Dante to start using his powers but, at least he wanted to do that, so he would rather not break his spirit.

"...A'ight." He said, and the young mallard beamed as the bunny picked a jug. "But only d'is once."

"Got it!"

The jug was placed on a table, away from the others for their safety, but Ace stood besides Dante while the others watched intrigued.

The young mallard took a deep breath and held his hands over the jug, and began to focus. The warmth started to come to him.

 _'Make juice.'_ He thought in his mind. _'Make orange juice, not lava, make orange juice, not lava, **please** make orange juice, not lav-'_

_**SPLAT!** _

"I did it!" Dante cheered as he saw the orange liquid filling the jug almost entirely. Ace smiled and pet his head, and everyone else let out a breath they didn't know they were holding in.

"Good job, kid!" Praised the bunny, and was about to lift the jug, but then he felt something. "Huh, d'is is warm."

The young mallard blinked. "Wait, is it?" He poked the jug, and felt that it was warm indeed. "Yuck, warm juice!" He stuck out his tongue in disgust.

"Maybe your powa's heated it up a bit." Ace said with a small chuckle, picking up the jug. "But hey, d'ats what ice is for!"

"No offense, but are we sure we can drink it?" Lexi mumbled to Tech, who quickly took out a scan reader. Ace let the jug down on their dinning table and the coyote took a small sample to have it tested in his gadget. A small beep, and he nodded his head. "It's good, it doesn't contain anything other than orange pulp."

Rev filled the jug with ice and beamed. "Dante-just-saved-dinner! I-don't-think-pasta-tastes-as-good-without-juice!" He ran his hand affectionately over the boy's head, earning a good-hearted laugh from him. "Let's-dig-in, then!"

And that dinner was probably the best Dante ever had in his life.

* * *

It was late night and Ace was readying himself for bed.

They all had said goodnight after helping cleaning the kitchen, and Ace had then gone to help Dante get ready for the night. Taking a shower, wash his teeth, the usual stuff, while they talked about dinner (The young mallard was impressed of how big Slam's mouth was). Dante seemed pretty tired after the bath, so when his head touched the pillow he just went off like a light.

Ace chuckled as he remembered seeing the young mallard sleeping soundly, mostly because it made him feel reassured that Dante was comfortable living with them- sure, maybe it was too soon to tell, but things had gone so well the first day that he couldn't stop that thought, and also the fact the young boy could use his powers to do something he wanted, proving Tech's theory wrong.

 _'I gotta write_ d'at _down tomorrow_ afta _' we return from da mall.'_ They had agreed over the table that Lexi and Ace were going to pick new clothes for Dante, and Lexi was pretty excited about it. For Ace it only meant that he had to be up early or he would never hear the end of it. _'More da reason ta go ta bed now-'_

**_Knock, knock._ **

His ears stood straight up, and he turned to see the clock. It was around 12, and by this time his teammates were already sleeping, so he became alarmed.

Ace walked near the door, his sword not too far from his reach as he asked: "Who is it?"

"I-It's me…" His guard immediately dropped.

"Dante?" The bunny opened the door, and indeed, found the one in question standing there, rubbing one of his eyes and carrying a small blanket he had brought. He noticed that the young mallard seemed just as surprised as him to be there. "What's wrong? It's midnight."

The young Looney nodded. "I-I know, I was having troubles to sleep…" He mumbled, as he stopped rubbing his eye. "I couldn't rest and I wanted to let you know, but…" He looked at the corridor, and Ace did too. There was nothing there.

But Ace understood, and looked at Dante with a calm smile. "Ya wanna sleep here tonight?"

He nodded with a sleepy smile, and the bunny let him in. Dante climbed to bed and yawned, making himself comfortable on the big cushions. Ace helped him and covered him with a blanket, and then he accommodated himself near the duck Looney. Once they were down and laying comfortable, he dared to ask: "So… ya like ya new place, bud?"

A sleepy, affirmative noise came from Dante. "Yep… I like it here, and the others are cool too…" A big yawn, and Ace knew he was going to fall asleep soon. Suddenly, he realized there was something odd about this.

"How did ya know d'is was my room?" He waited for an answer, and he got it in a tired, slurry tone of voice.

"I didn't… I just thought of seeing you and then I was here…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story stops here, I'm afraid. I'll return to it someday, when I work on re-writting the old chapters and plan a more concrete storyline.
> 
> Perhaps I'll write everything from little Dante's perspective, just to explore the world through his eyes. But only time will tell!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed what you've seen so far! Thanks for reading~
> 
> ~DreamerAwaken.


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